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'Some of that money, nearly £140,000, was recouped by NatWest's parent company the Royal Bank of Scotland after they became aware of this scam.'

The court heard inquiries eventually led police to Uzbekistan national Azamat Rahmanov and his home in Lewisham, south east London.

When police searched the property they found a large amount of incriminating material, including bank cards for the accounts the gang had set up.

Despite further arrests and online efforts to block the virus, others, still being hunted by police, managed to carry out similar internet account raids.

English language student Rahmanov, 25, regarded as one of the organisers of the scam, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and transferring criminal property between February 2 and April 9 this year.

He was jailed for four-and-a-half years and faces deportation on his release.

In the dock with him was Portuguese Recardo Pereira, 36, of King Edward Road, Barking, Essex, who looked after some of mule accounts.

He admitted the same charges and was jailed for 21 months.

Two others were also jailed - 'trusted lieutenant' Uzbekistani Shohruh Fayziev, a 23-year old hotel concierge, of Peckham Rye, Southwark, south east London, who received four years, and Angolan-born 'facilitator' Joao Cruz, a 33-year-old supermarket supervisor and UK national, of Vauxhall Street, Vauxhall, south London, who was given three years.

Former political refugee Cruz admitted conspiracy to defraud and possessing a false Angolan passport with intent, while his co-defendant, who also faces deportation, pleaded guilty to transferring criminal property.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Testar said: 'It is not grandiose to describe what happened here as a determined and sophisticated international attack on more than one of the London clearing banks.

'It must be made clear this cannot be tolerated. It is fraud with the potential to cause huge losses.

'It is fraud with the potential to undermine the confidence in the financial system, which is a system of great economic and social importance.

'This fraud is going to frighten those whose accounts have been compromised, even if, ultimately, it is the banks rather than the account holders who bear the losses.'

The judge said the scheme clearly required 'advanced computer programming skills' and a 'highly technical knowledge of the computer and electronic banking systems'.

He added: 'It seems extraordinary that the people who participated in this understood sufficiently clearly what they were doing that they were able to move these amounts of money into bank accounts and out again in cash despite modern money laundering procedures.'

A confiscation hearing will be held on March 22 next year.

After the case, a NatWest spokeswoman said: 'Our online banking system was not compromised in any way; instead the Trojan software was installed by fraudsters onto vulnerable PCs without the owners being aware.

'The Bank identified this fraud in the very early stages and took action to protect other customers' accounts.

'We informed the Police Centralised e-Crime Unit and assisted them with their investigation, and customers affected by this fraud have been refunded.'

She added: 'We recognise the sophistication of today's online banking Trojans and that's why we offer our customers free Trusteer Rapport security software to protect against this type of fraud.

'1.3 million customers are already using it to protect themselves online.'